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Thanks!That's awesome. My wife just left for a 65 mile hike(5 days) on the PCT with her friends. I have ZERO interest in doing something like that. Great pics, thanks for posting.
She's done a few different sections, but this time it's Bishop to Kearsarge Pass.Thanks!
That's really cool your wife is hiking part of the PCT. I'm envious! What section is she doing?
Nice! That area is so beautiful. My wife and I hiked Kearsarge Pass last year. I would love to do that hike again one day. Good timing for your wife too as a lot of the snow melted. I follow a couple PCT blogs/vlogs (the Restless Kiwi lady is next-level hardcore) and the snow was really deep, even in early summer. A lot of people were forced to flip-flop for safety reasons.She's done a few different sections, but this time it's Bishop to Kearsarge Pass.
Thanks, I hope she does too!Nice! That area is so beautiful. My wife and I hiked Kearsarge Pass last year. I would love to do that hike again one day. Good timing for your wife too as a lot of the snow melted. I follow a couple PCT blogs/vlogs (the Restless Kiwi lady is next-level hardcore) and the snow was really deep, even in early summer. A lot of people were forced to flip-flop for safety reasons.
Hope she has a great time!
That zone is where I've been trying to plan a route and trip but would like to take more time than just a few nights. Crossed the GTW and dropped into the Kern Valley at Volcano Falls, on to Kern Lakes and then to the forks 2 years ago and it was pretty dreamy.then over another pass to Lake South America
Thanks! It is amazing to have this kind of terrain right in my backyard. Granted I left home at 3:15 AM but it took just a little over an hour to get to the trailhead. To which I spent almost half an hour screwing around with equipment. The hike slayed me but I like to think that was part because I was operating on 0 sleep.Great hike and report Kento! Peak bagging is cool and it's great that it's so close to the big smoggy basin. Reminds me of Norman Clyde, dude was a peak bagging stud in the Sierras back in the day. A few years ago we did Kearsarge then down to the PCT/Muir Trail, then southbound over Forester (13,200' ballbuster) Pass, then over another pass to Lake South America where my grandson caught his first golden trout. We're stocked to have such great mountains for us to play in.
If you have some spare time, we'd love to visit with you. Pretty decent burrito a short walk from our home...our treat.Yes. I may go north to see my brother in Daly City then to Seattle to see my other brother or Zion NP. Three weeks total to play.
Yeah Kento, looks like an epic day! Thanks for sharing.When you can hike 6!
Oh yesterday was a long day, especially since I was so hyped/anxious, I didn't get a single wink of sleep the night before. Started up Mt. Baldy from the Village via Bear Canyon hike at around 5:15 AM. I knew this was going to be tough but that middle section was brutal. You can do all the research you want but once you're in it, that's when reality hits. The first 1.6 miles were pretty mellow but then you see the mountain in front of you. The steep switchbacks through the manzanita were one thing but the hike up the ridgeline was hell. 3,000 vertical feet in about 2 miles. After that, it gets easier and by easier I mean from very difficult to just plain hard. I took a lot of breathers on the way up and got to the top of West Baldy around 9:45 (Peak 1), moseyed over to the main Baldy Peak (#2) and then across to Mt. Harwood (#3). About 8 miles in at this point and legs were just thrashed. But I could see the Notch restaurant oh so close. Headed down Devil's Backbone (thankfully not too crowded) and then down the Turkey Chute trail, which has always been one of my favorite runs. Cool to check it out off-season. Burgers and beers never tasted so good. Chilled with a couple other hikers, talked some story.
Most sane people would probably call it a day and head down the road or lift to the bottom but I was kind of on a mission. Luckily, the break refreshed me a lot and, combined with an energy gel, I was ready to complete the rest of my goal. In short order, hiked to the top of Thunder Mountain (#4). Was a trip to be there in summer. I've hung out on that deck so many years, BBQing, tossing back beers, the nostalgia was strong. A hell of a lot stronger than the deck was. So many years also I have stared at Telegraph Peak (#5) across the way. This time I was actually going to hike it. The hike drops you down into a saddle and then you have to regain all the ground you lost. Tough but highly rewarding. I kept telling myself that I just did 6,000' of elevation already, 800' shouldn't be a big deal. That became my favorite peak in the area. Amazing 360 degree views and I had it to myself. Actually, I had the entire Three T's to myself. Time was getting short and I knew the sun would be going behind the mountains soon so hustled up to Timber Mtn (#6) and then down to Icehouse Saddle, getting there about 6 PM. I had forgotten how sh*tty going down that is, especially when you are already pretty tired. Only 3.5 miles but navigating a ton of rocks and other debris just makes it take so much longer than it should. Got down to the bottom at 7:30 PM, just as it got dark. My feet were torn up at this point and I was dreading the two mile road walk back to my car. Thankfully, a good samaritan gave me a lift within minutes.
All told: 23 miles, 8,000+ elevation gain. Got home just in time to see the 2nd half of USC beating Stanford. Good day.
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Sunrise over the Telegraph Peak
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Cool rock formation on Bear Canyon Trail.
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Near the top. West Baldy in background with main Baldy peak just out of frame to right.
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Getting closer.
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Top of West Baldy with Baldy in the background.
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Satisfaction! Top of Baldy.
Thanks! While I did complete that hike, I was about halfway up Baldy when I did a brutally honest self-assessment that I need to be in better shape to hike Whitney, Big Iron, and other high elevation hikes. Part of that though was that I had almost zero exercise the previous two weeks while I was nursing a couple battered toes back to health. That being said, though, it felt really good to push myself to the utter extent of my abilities and achieve my goal.That's some strong hiking. Don't know if you hit the Sierra, but the southern range is only 4 hrs from SoCal.
There are a bunch of east side passes in the 6k range: Shepherd, Taboose, Sawmill. Shepherd puts you right in upper Kern, Sawmill into Wood lakes, and Taboose in the upper basin under Mather.
Whitney is also 6k, and combined 12k gain/loss if done as a day hike. Same with Langley and some other non-technical 14k peaks.
You'd like the big passes because they're not only pretty empty (for obvious reasons), but they also give you sense of accomplishment.
Oh those muscles are thrashed!Now that it is 48 hrs after that monster of a hike, how are the 'small, downhill muscles'?
No matter how in shape I pretend to get before I do any decent hiking, I have found it very difficult to prepare my legs for the downhill aspect.
After something like what Kento did, I think I would have trouble walking down a flight of stairs without grimacing the following day..